Dire Wofven
The Dire Wofven is a native predator to the planet Landris, located in the Maridis Sector. The Wofven is a large canine-like creature and is the largest natural predator on Landris. Wofven are social predators that live in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair, their offspring and, occasionally, adopted immature wofven. They primarily feed on ungulates, which they hunt by wearing them down in short chases. Wofven are the apex predators throughout their range, with only humanoids a posing significant threat to them. History The Dire Wofven were first encountered by Antrixian settlers who were the first to colonize Landris. While they were not overtly aggressive towards the colonists when initially encountered, the Wofven were seen to be aggressive when cornered or surprised, which usually led to serious injury. When House Strykia formed on Landris, the Lord of House Strykia adopted the Dire Wofven as part of their House Sigil due to the natural beauty and behavior of the creature. Over the course of the years, a few Dire Wofven have been captured as pups and have been domesticated. House Strykia was said to have two Dire Wofven that were taken as pets for the youngest children during the Clone Wars. Appearance Adult wofven are 1.6 to 1.8 meters in length and .6 to .8 meters in shoulder height. The tail is ⅔ the length of the head and body, measuring .2 to .35 meters in length. Wofven have very dense and fluffy winter fur, with short underfur and long, coarse guard hairs. Most of the underfur and some of the guard hairs are shed in the spring and grow back in the autumn period. The longest hairs occur on the back, particularly on the front quarters and neck. Especially long hairs are found on the shoulders, and almost form a crest on the upper part of the neck. The hairs on the cheeks are elongated and form tufts. The ears are covered in short hairs which strongly project from the fur. Coat color ranges from almost pure white through various shades of grays, browns, and blacks. Differences in coat colour between males and females are largely absent, though females may have lighter tones. Fur color does not seem to serve any camouflage purpose, with some scientists concluding that the blended colors have more to do with emphasizing certain gestures during interaction. Behavior In popular literature around the Maridis Sector, wof packs are often portrayed as strictly hierarchical social structures with a breeding "alpha" pair which climbs the social ladder through fighting, followed by subordinate "beta" wofven and a low ranking "omega" which bears the brunt of the pack's aggression. This terminology is based heavily on the behaviour of captive wof packs composed of unrelated animals, which will fight and compete against each other for status. Also, as dispersal is impossible in captive situations, fights become more frequent than in natural settings. In the wild, wof packs are little more than nuclear families whose basic social unit consists of a mated pair, followed by its offspring. The wofven that are tamed as pets tend to be less managable and predictable then traditional pets found in households. They do tend to form a tight bond to their owners however which borders on pack behavior. They are often times very protective of their owners and the owner’s family members. RPG D6 Stats Type: Forest Predator DEXTERITY 3D PERCEPTION 3D+2 Search 4D STRENGTH 4D Special Abilities: Teeth: STR+2D damage Claws: STR+1 damage Tracking: Due to it's strong sense of smell and hearing, a Dire Wofven gains +2D to Search rolls when actively searching for a target or following a target. Move: 17 Size: 0.8 meters tall at the shoulder, up to 1.8 meters long (including tail). Category:Creatures